Original Research

Paclitaxel Drug-Drug Interactions in the Military Health System

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Conclusions

This retrospective study discusses the use of paclitaxel in the MHS and the potential DDIs associated with it. The study population consisted mostly of active-duty personnel, who are required to be healthy or have controlled or nonactive medical diagnoses and be physically fit. This group is mixed with dependents and retirees that are more reflective of the average US population. As a result, this patient population is healthier than the general population, with a lower prevalence of common illnesses such as diabetes and obesity. The study aimed to identify drugs used alongside paclitaxel treatment. While further research is needed to identify potential DDIs among patients who experienced AEs, in vitro testing will need to be conducted before confirming causality. The low number of AEs experienced by only 32 of 702 patients (5%), with no deaths during paclitaxel treatment, indicates that the drug is generally well tolerated. Although this study cannot conclude that concomitant use with noncancer drugs led to the discontinuation of paclitaxel, we can conclude that there seems to be no significant DDIsidentified between paclitaxel and antidepressants. This comprehensive overview provides clinicians with a complete picture of paclitaxel use for 27 years (1996-2022), enabling them to make informed decisions about paclitaxel treatment.

Acknowledgments

The Department of Research Program funds at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center supported this protocol. We sincerely appreciate the contribution of data extraction from the Joint Pathology Center teams (Francisco J. Rentas, John D. McGeeney, Beatriz A. Hallo, and Johnny P. Beason) and the MHS database personnel (Maj Ryan Costantino, Brandon E. Jenkins, and Alexander G. Rittel). We gratefully thank you for the protocol support from the Department of Research programs: CDR Martin L. Boese, CDR Wesley R. Campbell, Maj. Abhimanyu Chandel, CDR Ling Ye, Chelsea N. Powers, Yaling Zhou, Elizabeth Schafer, Micah Stretch, Diane Beaner, and Adrienne Woodard.

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